Natural disasters and management

08 of damages caused by them

By the end of this chapter, you will be competent to...

contribute to minimise damages due to cyclones.

contribute to minimise damages due to lightning.

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 8.1 Let us minimise disasters due to cyclones

The day was 26th of December 2000. It was a bright sunny morning in Trincomalee
town. People were involved in their usual daily activities. Although the weather forecast
predicted the possibility of a cyclone, it was not very obvious that many people took
much heed of it.

Around 8.00 a.m. dark clouds began to appear from the sea side. In less than
even half an hour strong wind began to flow inwards across the town. It was
accompanied by a massive rainfall. Roofs of buildings flew away and trees were
uprooted. Electricity was cut off. People ran here and there for shelter.

In a short time the rain stopped and the wind became slower. Thinking that the
worst was over, people came out of their shelters. Very soon, another strong wind
started to blow. This time in the opposite direction to the first. Rain too started again.
Whatever buildings were left from the first wind were also destroyed by the second.

Fig 8.1
Satellite pictures of the cyclone which affected Trincomale on 26th of December 2000

The amount of damage this cyclone caused was estimated as follows;

Number of families affected - 170,149

Number of houses fully destroyed - 57,273
Number of houses partially destroyed - 20,860
Agricultural land destroyed - 20,810 acres.
Number of deaths - 11
Loss to the national economy - Rs. 1500 million
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What is a cyclone?
Cyclone is a low pressure area in the atmosphere.
It takes the shape of a spiral and strong winds may
prevail up to a distance of 100 km. It is an extremely
disastrous weather situation.
Do you know?
A cyclone which took place in Bangladesh on
13th November 1970 killed 300,000 people.
Hurricane Andrew which flew over United States
of America in 1972 caused a damage estimated
at 26 million dollars. Fig 8.2 - An enlarged
sattellite picture of a cyclone

The cyclones which affect Sri Lanka belong to the group of tropical cyclones.
These originate in the Bay of Bengal.
The cyclones which originates around the North Pacific region are called Typhoons.
The cyclones which originates around the North Atlantic region are called
Hurricanes.
In addition there is a type of cyclone which affects only a small area of land called
Tornados.

Factors which cause cyclones

The following factors have to be present for the origination of a cyclone according
to Meteorologists

The temperature of the sea water from the surface and up to 60 km deep in the
ocean, should be above 26 oC.
The region where the system arises should be inclined to a position 3o north or
south of the equator. (Cyclones do not arise on the equator)
The humidity of the atmosphere up to 7 - 8 km height should be more than 60%.

Do you know?
The cyclones that arise in the nothern hemisphere of the earth rotate in the
anticlockwise direction while cyclones that arise in the southern hemisphere rotate
in the clockwise direction.

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 Activity - 8.1
Detecting the direction of currents in water.
Fill the wash basin in your kitchen or bathroom with water. Put some small
pieces of paper which will float on the water. Now remove the stopper at the
bottom of the wash basin. The water will flow out in the shape of a cyclone. Note
the direction in which the water turns. Repeat many times and note the direction.
You can notice similar observations at places where water flows out of a tube.

Origin of a cyclone
A tropical cyclone starts in the sea. It arises as a low pressure area above the sea
where the wind speed is about 30 km per hour. The air around this area which is at
normal pressure gets dragged towards the low pressure area. But due to the rotation
of the earth, this current of air rotates in a spiral and forms into a cyclone. In the
northern hemisphere, where Sri Lanka too is situated this rotates in the anticlockwise
direction.

eye
eye wall
Spiral bands

Fig 8.3 - Cross section of a cyclone

In a cyclone in addition to the rotation of the air at the centre, there is also a rising
of the air column. This causes a spiral air column. The centre of the spiral is called the
eye. It can spread up to an area of 30 km - 60 km from the centre. This is a calm
rainless, cloudless area with slow winds. In a satellite picture this appears as a black
circle.

The cylindrical clusters of clouds around the eye is called the eye wall. This area
has heavy rain and strong winds.
Outside the eye wall, spiral bands of rain clouds can be seen. Here strong winds
and rain persist.
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 Table 8.1 - Stages of development and effects of a cyclone

Stage Maximum wind Effect

speed km/h
Low pressure area Less than 35 Not much damage to houses. May
damage crops and trees.
Lowest pressure 35 - 65 Little damage to houses, fair damage
to trees and large damage to crops
Hurricane 65 - 125 Considerable damage to homes and
electricity cables
Cyclone More than 125 Devastation to houses, electricity
lines etc.

Prior notice about cyclones

The Meteorological Department provides
information about cyclones. This department
works 24 hours of the day. More attention
regarding cyclones is paid in the months of
November and December as indicated in the
graphs. Meteorological Department possesses
highly sophisticated modern technology and
other technological equipment. Hence it is
possible to give a warning about the possibility
of a cyclone 48 hours before it occurs. Fig 8.4 - The path along which cyclones
travelled in Sri Lanka
8
No of times

6
4
2
0
January

February

March

April

May

June

August

September

October

November

December
July

Month

Fig 8.5 - Data of cyclones flowing past Sri Lanka from 1881 - 2000

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 Assignment - 1
Study the above map (Fig. 8.4) well, and prepare a list of districts in Sri Lanka
where cyclones can occur. Find out whether the district you are living in is included
in the list.

If there is a threat of a cyclone to Sri Lanka latest relevant information is provided

to the District secretariat and the Police stations. This information is then passed down
from these offices to the general public.
The centre for disseminating prior information regarding cyclones is
the Meteorological Department. Tel. No. 0112686686
Web site www. meteo.slt.lk.
Cyclone threats are announced by radio and television stations as well.

Managing cyclone disasters

If you are residing in a cyclone threatened area, before a cyclone, follow the
instructions given below;
Constantly check whether the tiles or roofing sheets of your house are firmly fixed.
Maintain the doors and windows in good condition.
Remove branches of trees that may be dangerous to the house or even removing
such trees altogether.
Any objects that can be broken by knocking against things at a very strong wind
should be packed well.
Be aware of the closest highest location where you can go at a time of floods or
the ocean coming in which often happens with cyclones.
Prepare your Crisis kit. It should contain the following items.
Bottles of drinking water
First aid
Dry food stuff (Biscuits etc.)
Sheets etc. for covering yourself
Small battery radio
Torch (with batteries)
Box of matches or lantern
Keep the telephone numbers of useful people/places at convenient places.

If no notice has been given to evacuate but the cyclone is close to the land
Disconnect all electric appliances.

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If a cyclone threat is announced

Keep little children indoors (do not allow them to go out)

Park your vehicles in a place with a strong roof.
Cover your valuables, clothes or important documents well with a polythene cover
and keep them on a high place.
Anchor fishery boats. Take any fishing equipment to a high place.

If an evacuation notice is given

Dress in protective clothing and shoes.

Disconnect your electricity.
Untie any pet dogs, cattle or goats from their reigns.
Move away before strong wind or floods come.
Get away from windows and stay near the stronger part of the house.
If buildings are breaking, get under a strong table.
When the wind gets reduced do not think that the wind has stopped. It may start
again from the opposite side.
Have patience till the media announces that the cyclone is over.
If you are driving a vehicle get to a place with no trees around and stay parked.

After a cyclone............

Do not vacate till the media announce that the cyclone is over.
Do not use wet electric appliances
Listen to the radio for further notices.
If you have vacated your locality do not return till informed.
Be careful of broken electric cables, bridges, buildings etc.
Do not drink polluted water.
Use suitable chemicals and disinfect the drinking water bodies.

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Tornado threats
These are whirling masses of wind
which start from a thunder cloud
spiralling down to the earth.
The media as well as people often
refer to strong winds as cyclones.
Therefore, it is useful to compare a
tornado and a cyclone (Table 8.2).

Fig 8.6 - Picture of a Tornado

Table 8.2
Tropical cyclones Tornado
Size, diameter About 500 km About 100 m
No of clouds Large number in the Very often only one in the
cluster cluster
Place of origin Above warm oceans Above land
Rainfall Rains over a large area of Hardly any rain or very little
land rain
Damage Floods, landslides Damage due to wind in a
limited area

Activity - 8.2
Identifying the shape of a tornado.
Take two transparent plastic bottles and fill a half of one bottle with coloured
water. Fix the mouths of the two bottles with gum tape. Now turn this set up upside
down.
Here the flow of coloured water is similar to that of a tornado.

Do you know?
When a tornado blows over a water body, the water gets lifted up. This is
called a water spout. Aquatic animals too may get lifted up with this.

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 8.2 Let us minimise disasters from lightning

Since the past, man had been aware of the disasters caused by lightning. This is
seen by the attitude of our ancestors towards lightning - they elevated lightning to
the status of a God. In Sri Lanka too there are many folk lore connected with
lightning.
It has been disclosed by scientific
experiments that lightning is an electrical
current coming from the sky to the earth.

This electrical current flows from charged

clouds to the earth. If such a current is to
flow from the clouds to the earth, electricity
must originate in the clouds. Let us find out
how this happens.
Fig 8.7 - A picture of lightning

You learnt in Grade Seven about static electricity that is generated by one conductor
rubbing against another conductor. Clouds are formed of very fine drops of water. Air
currents move up through clouds at high speed. When these air currents move up
through cumulonimbus clouds, these clouds gradually grow in height. These get caught
to air currents rising vertically up and as a result
the top section gets flattened to form a mushroom
or umbrella shape.

The air particles as they travel through the cloud

rub against the water drops, which then get a
charge. According to latest research the clouds
which cause lightning have the charges distributed
as follows; Fig 8.8 - A cumulonimbus Cloud

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 The upper part of the cloud has a distribution
of positive charges. The lower part of the cloud
has an equal amount of negative charges spread
out. A few positive charges are again found at the
bottom of the cloud.
When a large amount of charges collect in a
cloud they can get discharged within the cloud it
self. Accordingly lightning is an electric discharge. Fig 8.9 - Distribution of charges in
According to the manner in which the discharge a cloud which cause lightning
occurs lightning can be of three types.

1. Intra Cloud flash

A discharge of positive and negative charges that take place within a cloud or
between two clouds.
2. Earth lightning
A discharge which starts from the cloud and ends up on earth.
3. Inter Cloud flash
A discharge which is set off from a cloud into the air.

A
A

A - Intra Cloud flash B - Inter Cloud flash

Fig 8.10

Among these, the type that is harmful to us are the earth lightning. According to
the above, lightning is a flash of light. You can understand it from the activity below.

Activity 8.3
Find two new torch batteries (dry cell) Connect its positive
and negative ends by a piece of wire. On an off remove the piece
of wire.

In the above activity you will see a spark as well as hear a small noise. What
happens here is a small electrical discharge.

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 A dry cell has a voltage of 1.5V. However a lightning discharge may have a
voltage of about 100 million volts. The current that flows through a lightning discharge
is 25000 amperes. A 100 w bulb in our houses has only a current of 0.5 amperes
flowing through it.

How lightning is earthed

There are four methods by which lightning can get
discharged in such a way as to harm a person.

1. Direct lightning
A streak of lightning which hits a Fig 8.11 - Direct strike
building or a single person standing on
a flat land.(Fig 8.11)

2. Lateral lightning

Fig 8.12 - Side flash Part of lightning flash striking a

tall tree gets earthed through a body
of a person or a building.(Fig 8.12 )
3. Contact lightning Fig 8.13 - Contact
lightning
A lightning flash which strikes a building through a tele-
phone wire or antenna wire etc, or a lightning that strikes a tree
and along the tree strikes a person who is close to it.(Fig 8.13)

4. Step lightning
A streak of lightning which strikes a tree, goes along the
ground enters a person through one foot and leaves through
the other foot.(Fig 8.14)
Fig 8.14 - Step
Periods when lightening disasters are common lightning

According to data collected over a long period of time it

has been shown that lightning disasters are most in the inter-monsoon period of March
- April and October - November.

Assignment - 2
Draw a bar graph of the number of days in each month when you heard
lightning and thunder in your locality
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Protection from lightning
Houses with no other buildings or tall trees around are prone to be affected by
direct lightning. This danger can be reduced to a great extent by fixing a lightning
conductor.

Lightning Cloud

Metal tips

Broad copper strip

Tall building

earthed metal block

Fig 8.15 - Lightning conductor

Do you know?

The lightning conductor was first invented by Benjamin

Franklin in 1749.

Benjamin Franklin
Preventive measures
During lightning .........
If you are outdoors, go into the house immediately.
Avoid travelling in open vehicles such as bicycles, motor bicycles. tractors, boats
etc.
Avoid touching metal objects
Avoid sleeping on the floor.
Avoid going out to take clothes from clothes lines.
Do not bathe or wash in water.
Do not use telephones with wires/cables

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 Switch off the television, remove the antenna and put it outside the house with its
metallic end towards the earth.
Do not try to switch on the trip switch if it goes off.
Do not stay in open places such as play grounds paddy fields etc.
Danger signals
During weather conditions when lightning may occur, your hair and the body may
rise up, indicating that in a few minutes lightning may strike. Follow any of the above
preventive measures immediately.

Do you know?
One lightning streak may harm many people. In 1998, the football team of 11
members were all struck by one flash of lightning. A few years back in Monaragala
5 people who went under a tree for shelter during lightning were all struck by
lightning.

If any person has been struck by lightning, quickly go to his assistance and

If the heart beat has stopped, give artificial respiration and heart massage.
If he is recovering immediately take him to the nearest hospital.
While taking see that his mouth is turned side ways and not upwards.
If he is bleeding from burns, try to prevent the bleeding as much as you
can.
A person struck by lightning has no electric charges left on his body.
Therefore do not hesitate touch him.

Do you know?
During lightning, the nitrogen and oxygen of the air combine to form compounds
which dissolve in water and come down with the rain. They help to increase the
fertility of the soil.
The best place to protect yourself from lightning is inside a motor
vehicle - Faraday Chamber

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 Exercise

(1) Which of the following should you not do during lightning

1. Standing under a tall tree.

2. If you are in an open place, sitting down.
3. Stay inside a vehicle
4. Stay inside the room of a building

(2) State two things you should not do if you are inside a house during lightning

(3) If the following statements are true, place sign, and if they are false place a
X sign against them.

1. A tropical cyclone is a low pressure system arising at the equator.

2. A tornado is a windy area which revolve around a low pressure area.
3. A water spout is a situaton arising when a tornado travels over a body of
water.

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